Bill Wiggins

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT BILL WIGGINS

With a light heart and an only slightly exaggerated sense of relief, Stacey Murphy relinquished the mayor's chair this week to Bill Wiggins. Murphy, 41, was the third woman to hold the mayor's post in Burbank. The small-business owner and mother of three sons has been on the council for three years and has lived in Burbank for a decade and a half. She will be up for reelection next year. Although the mayor's job is largely a ceremonial one, it does carry a high degree of visibility and a fair amount of influence.

Fourth of July weekend got underway early as the Burbank Senior Arts Colony presented “Music Under the Stars” as a prelude to the holiday festivities. Thursday evening saw hundreds of residents and guests gather on the Grand Patio of the East Verdugo Avenue arts complex to enjoy a musical walk down the lane of memories. The Betti Vincent Quartet featuring Jeff Margraf and Corky Merrill backed up the evening’s headlining vocalists, Diane Vincent, Jackie Love, Joseph Caro and Sally Connors, who treated the assemblage to standards such as the 1933 hit “Paper Moon,” Doris Day’s “Sentimental Journey,” a sultry version of “Blue Moon” and Irving Berlin’s “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” from the 1948 musical “Easter Parade.

Burbank optometrist Dr. David Gordon's election to the City Council in the wake of the Stacey Murphy scandal signaled to many the emergence of a new era of local Burbank politics. A councilman-elect whose unapologetic criticism of Bob Hope Airport expansion and overzealous land development — what his campaign derided as the "Los Angelization of Burbank" — made him a clear antidote to a City Council that Gordon supporters complained had become a rubber stamp. After beating out council veteran Bill Wiggins with 37% of the vote, Gordon made good on pledges to fight for the public's access to information, scrutinizing meeting agenda items that would not likely have drawn much attention had Gordon not been on the council.

First, I wish to thank all the dedicated, hard-working people who supported me in my campaign to win election to Burbank's City Council. I would also like to thank all those who may not have supported me, but nevertheless participated in this special election. Included in this latter group is Jack O'Neill, who opted to vote for Bill Wiggins. I accept O'Neill's congratulations on my election victory ("Gordon wins in tight race, "Jan. 25). However, I flatly reject his assertion of "character attacks and misrepresentations" or "personal attacks against Mr. Wiggins" somehow being associated with my campaign.

This is the fifth in a five-part series where the Leader speaks to the candidates for January's special election to get their takes on the issues.In getting his message out to voters, Bill Wiggins is hoping that they will take his experience and policy of openness into account when casting their ballots in next month's special City Council election. As a former councilman and mayor, Wiggins is the only candidate from a field of five who has previously served in an elected position.

This past Saturday was a day of reflection in Burbank as dignitaries, family and friends reflected on the career of retiring Burbank Police Chief Tom Hoefel , and the women of the La Providencia Guild of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles honored those who have served as the organization's presidents over the past 60 years. Brownstone Street on the back lot of Warner Bros. was the beginning of the trail that will ultimately lead Hoefel and his wife, Bunni , into the sunset of Texas retirement.

A special election in January to fill Stacey Murphy's spot on the City Council attracts five candidates for post.DOWNTOWN BURBANK -- Voters will have a field of five candidates to choose from in a January special election to fill the council seat left vacant by the resignation of Stacey Murphy. Friday marked the last day candidates could return petitions to the City Clerk's office to be on the ballot for the Jan. 24 special election. "I had a good experience working on the new Buena Vista Library committee and seeing that come to fruition," said candidate Michael Dontanville, a retired air traffic controller.